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Sunday, September 14, 2008

The Sunday Salon: Challenge Challenged

At last, this week, I'm nearly caught up with reviews, and I've finished a book that was plaguing me for nearly 2 weeks: Songs in Ordinary Times. I was so happy to finish that book! I picked up The Cellist of Sarajevo as soon as I finished the book above, and I have just a couple of chapters left in that. Sitting in my library bag to read next are a light read, Joshilyn Jackson's Gods in Alabama, and a heavy read, Chimamanda Ngozi Adichie's Half of a Yellow Sun.

I need to pay more attention to my challenges, including the Life Books Challenge that I am running here. Only a handful of people have signed up thus far, but I've found lots of books to add to my TBR list from their choices.* Here's my own list. I've since remembered titles that I should have included, of course!* Becky at Becky's Book Reviews has a long list here. From her list I am going to add The Girl With the White Flag.* Jessi at Casual Dread has a list of 10 books. From her list I'm going to add one that I can't believe I've still never read: Like Water for Chocolate.* Sandy at Falling Like Rain has several I've never heard of, including this one that I'm going to put on my list for World War II reading later this year with my kids.* Washwords also has a list up, but right now her blog page won't load. I'll have to check that out later!

This is an on-going challenge. Most of the challenge is not in the follow-through reading but in the thinking of your own life books: the books that, in some aspect, define you. I'd love to read some more lists!

I haven't read anything for the New Classics Challenge, although I did try to find The Road at our library, and I've added just a couple of titles to the Books Around the World Challenge. I suspect I may be challenge challenged. What happens is that … I just forget. I am more strongly motivated by my own TBR list than by anything else! Whittling away on that is enough of a challenge.

1 comment:

Anonymous
said...

Sarah: First, I know what you mean about challenges. I need to pay more attention to mine also. I'm involved in so many. Second, that said, and like I really don't need another one :) but I've been meaning to join yours. Do I still have time to get in?

I'm "supposed to be reading" the Adichie book for an online group, but I'm looking at it and wondering I am going to get to it. I have Michael Chabon's The Amazing Adventures of Kavalier and Clay beckoning me.